Petrucci gets late Ducati call-up for Jerez testing

Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa ran on Monday, with Aprilia, KTM and Ducati’s World Superbike riders in action on Tuesday.

Petrucci was a late addition to the line-up in a bid to aid Ducati’s understanding of its Desmosedici GP18, without using up the allocation of test days assigned to Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.

Dovizioso and Lorenzo have already used two of their five test days permitted for the 2018 season.

Petrucci has also used up two test days, but with the Pramac squad often reluctant to undertake private testing in-season, it means Ducati does not have to sacrifice the allocation of its factory riders.

Petrucci is in his final year with Pramac, the operation having opted to sign Moto2 rider Francesco Bagnaia for 2019 and looking likely to retain the recently-recruited Jack Miller alongside him.

The Ducati works team holds an option on Petrucci's services if it does not retain Dovizioso or Lorenzo.

Ducati tester Michele Pirro is also in action at Jerez, though his attention is focused on the Panigale R that the manufacturer wants to use in World Superbike in 2019.

Testing for Aprilia is being carried out by three-time Italian CIV Superbike champion Matteo Baiocco, while Mika Kallio is in action for KTM.